Random Wire Review 101: August 2, 2024
Feature: Climate change and amateur radio. Prep for an ASL audio interface build. "Radio Every Day." Two consumer radios for review. Microphones. M17.
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Contents
1. Feature: Climate Change and Amateur Radio
1.1 Let’s not call it climate change
1.2 Changing weather is causing more damage
1.3 Weather affects radio signals
1.4 Changing weather affects amateur radio stations
1.5 Is amateur radio still useful in the face of changing weather?
1.6 New technologies offer hope for amateur radio
2. Preparing for an AllStarLink Build
2.1 Parts
2.2 CM108 vs. RL-20
3. Radio Every Day
3.1 Regular nets
3.2 Technology democratizes amateur radio
4. Tools
4.1 Bookmarking interesting content
4.2 Where are the radios with assistive systems?
5. On The Bench
5.1 Two consumer radios received for review
5.2 Unhappy about SIM cards
5.3 Microphones: unhappy and excited
5.4 M17 Project
6. Other: Blue Angels
7. Errata
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1. Feature: Climate Change and Amateur Radio
While I’m sure the title of this featured content will raise some eyebrows in the amateur radio community, it’s an important topic and it does affect many aspects of our amateur radio hobby. This came to mind as I thought about the short report in issue 100 about a group of hams that spoke of amateur radio as having no place in emergency communications. As I was thinking of that, I was also reading that Oregon is the top priority in the the country (a dubious distinction, at best) for wildfires.
Let’s take a look the intersection of changing weather patterns and amateur radio.
1.1 Let’s not call it climate change
It is very unfortunate that the term “climate change” has become a trigger word for many people, causing them to immediately deny that any changes are happening. The reality is: weather patterns are changing. This conclusion is based on evidence gathered from long-term observations of weather. The planet is getting warmer. We are seeing the timing of precipitation events change, and the amount of precipitation received in some regions has also changed. More climate-related energy is driving bigger storms.
If you’re a farmer or a forester or a wildland firefighter, you probably already recognize that the weather you’re seeing in recent years isn’t like the weather your parents or grandparents experienced. NASA claims the “rate of change is extremely unusual” when compared to paleoclimate data. NASA says “the rate of change since the mid-20th century is unprecedented over millennia.”
As a geologist, I know climate changes. The geologic record is full of examples of huge shifts in climate. It has happened before. While we like to think of the planet as a big inert ball, a geologist sees it as a huge dynamic system that has one constant: it is always in a state of change.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to find evidence on the internet without that information being linked to a conclusion that recent changes are due to human factors. Sadly, when one mixes evidence and conclusions, sometimes those conclusions become misleading or downright antagonizing. The evidence says weather patterns are changing. That should be enough to capture our attention.
It seems like hubris to think that a single species on the planet can prevent changes in weather. At the end of the day, I care more about identifying what we might do to perpetuate the human race and less about who or what is responsible for changes in weather patterns. Our primary job is to figure out how to adapt and survive. If we also find ways to slow or stop changes, well, that amounts to icing on the cake.
Call it climate change if you wish. I will continue to think of this phenomenon as changing weather patterns because calling it climate change interferes with having rational, reasonable conversations.
1.2 Changing weather is causing more damage
This topic becomes more interesting when it involves what we do for a living or for enjoyment. The intersection with amateur radio is this: our amateur radio hobby is affected by weather in several ways, some large and some small. If weather is getting worse, it will affect us at some point.
Big storms affect telecommunications
Last year, CBC News (Canada) reported that the post-tropical storm named Fiona “affected electrical grids and telecommunication networks, leaving some people unable to call for help.”
Are such storms related to climate change? According to NASA, tropical storms have been getting stronger over the past 40 years. That strengthening is attributed to climate change:
“The warmer the water, the stronger and the more energy this system is going to have and it’s going to just increase in intensity. So are hurricanes getting stronger? The answer to that will be yes. We are seeming more and more tropical cyclones become category three, four and five. So in reality yes, we’re seeing that change every season in the last several years.”
The two important points in this are:
Tropical storms are getting bigger and lasting longer.
Big storms affect telecommunications.
When telecommunications networks go down, who you gonna call? Amateur radio operators, that’s who.
Wildfire can damage critical infrastructure
The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA, identifies wildfire impacts to critical infrastructure:
Wildfires can disrupt critical infrastructure sectors such as transportation, communications, power and gas services, and water supply. They also lead to a deterioration of the air quality, and loss of property, crops, resources, animals and people.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, says wildfire is affected by changing climate conditions:
“Climate change, including increased heat, extended drought, and a thirsty atmosphere, has been a key driver in increasing the risk and extent of wildfires in the western United States during the last two decades. Wildfires require the alignment of a number of factors, including temperature, humidity, and the lack of moisture in fuels, such as tress, shrubs, grasses, and forest debris. All these factors have strong direct or indirect ties to climate variability and climate change.”
In the realm of emergency management, effective communication is paramount. When traditional communication infrastructures fail due to natural disasters, technological malfunctions, or other unforeseen events, amateur radio operators, often known as “hams,” play a crucial role in maintaining lines of communication.
We need to be ready for anything:
“With wildfires burning sooner, and hotter and more unpredictably, with floods sometime impacting our communications infrastructure as well, it’s so important to be prepared for anything.”
This applies to amateur radio operators, too, in a wildfire situation:
“When an emergency occurs and conventional communication channels fail, ham can take immediate action and use ham radio to assist in emergency communication work.”
1.3 Weather affects radio signals
Does weather affect radio signals? Says Barrett Communications:
The method by which HF radio signals are broadcasted means that they can be susceptible to breaks in contact, including excessive rainfall. Raindrops essentially absorb the radio waves being transmitted, impacting clarity. Furthermore, stormy conditions such as thunder and lightning creates radio noise and static that makes messages difficult to interpret.
1.4 Changing weather affects individual amateur stations
More rain or heavier rainfall? Moisture can find its way into connections in your antenna and feed line. This kind of situation can affect high frequency signals but probably has more impact on VHF and UHF frequencies. (If you’re a ham that plays in even higher frequencies, you already know how critical your antenna system is!)
Sometimes you can hear thunderstorms on HF from the other side of the country. Rainfall can increase background noise and static. Water droplets can scatter and absorb radio waves, particularly above HF, VHF, and UHF frequencies. In my experience on HF bands, this can make it very hard to convey information quickly and accurately. Some will want to argue this point and I concede that rain, in and of itself, is not likely to be significant at HF, VHF, and UHF frequencies.
More directly, we all know to disconnect our gear when lightning threatens. One lightning strike nearby can destroy thousands of dollars worth of equipment. The ARRL recognizes this risk and publishes links to numerous articles about lighting protection.
Heavy cloud cover may reduce signal strength. Wildfire smoke may interfere with communications. (This may be partly dependent upon the amount of water vapor in the smoke.) In fact, fire itself may attenuate signals, particularly in the 400-450 MHz range of frequencies. (I postulate that cell phone users may see more attenuation of signals because of the higher frequency used by cellular networks.)
1.5 Is amateur radio still useful in the face of changing weather?
This is not intended to be an exhaustive dissertation on changing weather and how it may affect amateur radio. It should suffice to say that if weather patterns result in more extreme weather events, it will affect how radio waves travel. That means it will affect what we do in our amateur radio hobby. Whether we wish to admit it or not, weather does intersect with our radio capabilities and enjoyment.
Does amateur radio have a place in a world experiencing changing weather patterns? Absolutely. It’s reasonable to conclude that despite the existence of modern, high-speed networks on land, in the atmosphere, and even in space, there will always be a need for a reliable backstop consisting of functioning amateur radio stations and skilled and willing amateur radio operators.
1.6 New technologies offer hope for amateur radio
I would like to end this featured content on a fairly positive note. In an article on Eos.org titled Ham Radio Forms a Planet-Sized Space Weather Sensor Network, the authors make a case for the utility of new technologies in amateur radio:
Ham radio is currently experiencing a technical renaissance, thanks to the advent of inexpensive single-board computing platforms (a complete computer built onto a single circuit board, such as a Raspberry Pi) and open-source software. Such computer-based systems serve as virtual radio repeaters, connecting computers via the Internet to actual ham radios in the real world to enable remote control and data collection. Beyond the old-fashioned pursuit of voice communication, the lure of maker movement projects and the removal of the Morse code requirement from the amateur licensing exam have led to a greater number of licensed amateurs than ever before. Out of this increasing technical sophistication, digital communications networks, such as the Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS), the Weak Signal Propagation Reporter (WSPR), and the Reverse Beacon Network (RBN), enjoy wide membership and serve the amateur community while collecting propagation data at rates and resolutions that were previously impossible.
As I wrote this piece, I wondered if my frequent defense of radio-less protocols and systems still made sense. I think it does, but like all things, such methods work best in combination with other systems. In other words, digital data and voice probably don’t have legs without radio-based communications. Given the explosion of digital modes and hardware, the reverse corollary is probably true, i.e., radio-based communications are likely to continue to see digital technologies employed alongside, or as supplements to, traditional radio.
You might say that digital and analog systems have become symbiotic in the sense that the success of one depends on the success of the other. Such is the nature of growth and change.
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2. Preparing for an AllStarLink Build
2.1 Parts
The bits and pieces I need to build an audio interface for an AllStarLink node are coming together:
I have a Kenwood Phone Patch Controller PC-1A box.
Two modified CM108 USB fobs have arrived from a U.K. vendor. However, I’m not particularly fond of how the modifications look so I’m going to try an alternative (see next).
A kind-of-custom RL-20 audio board from Master Communications is on the way. I asked the vendor if I could purchase a board without the DB9 attached and he said sure, no problem. The RL-20 is also coming with the red and yellow LEDs reversed for a radio-less node.
I have a spare Kenwood MC-60 desk microphone I can use. I also have a genuine Alinco DTMF hand microphone I’ve tested on my node 588412.
In my “shack stock” I have numerous small audio amplifier boards, capacitors, switches, and more. I may look for a rocker switch that will fit the ON/OFF switch location on the Phone Patch Controller front panel.
2.2 CM108 vs. RL-20
The modified CM108 doesn’t look quite like the design I was hoping for, so I purchased an RL-20 audio board from Master Communications. The vendor left the DB9 off the board, giving me a nice solder pad for the microphone wires.
There is plenty of room inside the PC-1A case for the RL-20 board, audio amp, and wiring.
I’ll report progress as this build proceeds.
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3. Radio Every Day
I don’t think I’ve shared my daily radio habits. Essentially, I try to touch something “radio” every day. For me, this is an important practice because my life is busy and sometimes it can be easy to set aside, or even forget about, my amateur radio hobby. I don’t want to lose momentum or stop learning something new every day!
3.1 Regular nets
Regular radio nets include:
I regularly listen to the 9 am net on AllStarLink (ASL) node 2462. This is a regular morning net hosted by the Puget Sound Repeater Group. This reaches me via my node 588412 with great audio through an old Heathkit speaker, or my SHARI node 588417 and a Yaesu FT-3D handie talkie. Sometimes (like this morning) I listen in via my node 588411 with audio coming through the speakerphone speaker in my Cisco SPA525G. That audio is pleasantly clear.
When I’m getting my morning coffee, I like to listen in on the W7RAT repeater in Portland. This is an IRLP repeater that regularly hosts the Worldwide Friendship Net. This signal comes to me via analog FM.
Also on my coffee runs, I listen in to the America’s Kansas City Wide network that is repeated by the WA7BND repeater in Portland. That signal is digital C4FM, very clear. At home, I often listen in via WIRES-X through my FTM-300DR Portable Digital Node.
I also like to listen to the Alaska Morning Net on ASL node 29332.
I love to check in with friends on the W7NEE repeater in Shelton, Washington. This Yaesu System Fusion repeater is owned and operated by a ham radio friend, Jeff W7NEE, in coordination with the very active Colorado Digital group. The W7NEE repeater is the default in my home-built hotspot that I use only for Yaesu System Fusion, and Jeff also provides an ASL node that is great to listen to.
As I pause and reflect on what I just wrote, I’m realizing how truly lucky I am to have so many great technologies available to me. Most of this equipment is affordable and the audio quality over digital can be excellent.
3.2 Technology democratizes amateur radio
Just as important to me is how this technology democratizes (as in: the action of making something accessible to everyone) ham radio. If we think back to the time before digital radio, one often needed a fairly complicated, large setup for worldwide high-frequency (HF) communications. Today, through digital data and voice modes, worldwide communications cost a fraction of an HF-plus-antenna station.
We might always have some disagreement about whether digital modes represent “real” radio or not. Offsetting this concern is this reality: digital modes make accessing the world relatively easy and affordable. While some of us may want to put up a tall mast and a big antenna to work other stations over HF, some of us aren’t able to do that for various reasons.
Digital radio levels the field for many amateurs. That’s important to me.
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4. Tools
4.1 Bookmarking interesting content
I had meetings most of the week and yet still managed to dig into a variety of topics and bring them forward in issue 101 of the Random Wire Review. I peruse hundreds of news sources each week and capture interesting items using an app called Pocket.
(Originally, this was a free browser extension called Read It Later which I used extensively. Later, that morphed into the Pocket app I use today. The free version is perfectly adequate for most users. I capture so many links, though, that I pay for the premium service.)
There are alternatives to Pocket available. For example, I use Raindrop.io to capture bookmarks to share with the conservation district community I serve. You can see that list at https://raindrop.io/tsalzer/wacd-reading-list-15979489. Raindrop works well. Each bookmarked item has one or more “tags” and when you click on a tag, you get all of the bookmarks that are identically tagged.
4.2 Where are the radios with assistive systems?
I’d like to touch on assistive technologies for hams with challenges. I refer you to https://handiham.org/ and https://www.angelfire.com/electronic/funwithtubes/free_options_on_air.html
Truth be told, thought, I was mighty surprised to find relatively few good resources for hams who need assistance to enjoy amateur radio. Maybe I was using the wrong terms in my searches for this information. I invite you to send me links to such information.
For example, one can enable voice prompts on the Yaesu FTM-300DR by installing a Yaesu FVS-2 plug-in module. (The FVS-2 module is a voice guide unit for FTM-100/200/350/400 series radios.) I’ve not done this so please take this observation with a grain of salt.
One person who regularly serves as net control on a Kansas City Wide net is a blind ham who uses the FTM-300DR very effectively. For those of us who are not sight challenged, it may be hard to imagine the many barriers a blind ham faces. Antenna connected? Power on? Reading the SWR? Tuning? How about operating memories in a radio? How to diagnose a problem in the local station setup?
If you are curious about radios that work well for blind hams, check out these resources:
https://www.arrl.org/access-to-amateur-radio-for-the-disabled
https://qrper.com/2023/08/best-qrp-field-transceivers-for-operators-who-are-blind-visually-impaired/
https://swling.com/blog/2018/02/portable-ssb-radios-for-people-who-are-visually-impaired/
https://www.reddit.com/r/amateurradio/comments/1e3k94h/base_station_for_blind_hams/
And check out these groups:
By the way, this kind of assistive technology is not limited to amateur radios. For example, Sangean makes an AM/FM table radio with voice prompts. If you or a family member need this kind of assistance, an amateur radio or an AM/FM table radio with voice prompts would be a gift that demonstrates your understanding and caring.
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5. On The Bench
5.1 Two consumer radios received for review
Recently, I received two radios from XHDATA. The D-608WB is a portable AM, FM, shortwave, and weather band receiver that can be charged with a hand crank or via the solar panel built into the top of the device. The D-220 is an AM, FM, and shortwave pocket radio that is not listed on the XHDATA website at the time of this review.
I received these radios at no cost to me with the expectation I would review them. I’m not very familiar with XHDATA so this will be an interesting exploration of these products.
My first impression of the D-608WB is positive. For a plastic weather band radio, the D-608WB feels pretty solid. This radio uses an 18650 lithium ion battery for power and it can be recharged in the radio with a USB-C charger. There is also a hand crank on the back and a solar panel on top. Lifting the solar panel reveals an LED area light. Angling the solar panel may also help you maximize the rate of solar charging.
I’ve been listening to the radio for two days while it ran in the background on battery power. I’ve split that time between listening to local FM radio and listening to some of my favorite albums on a microSD card. I doubt I’ll get the full review done by the time this issue (issue 101) is published but I’ve started that work and look forward to finishing it.
Also received from XHDATA is their new D-220 radio AM, FM, and shortwave receiver. This is a pocket-sized radio that evokes memories of pocket transistor radios in the 1970s. The speaker looks bigger on the D-220 than on the D-608WB, but the 608WB speaker has a bass port on the back of the radio housing. Unlike the 608WB, the 220 uses AA batteries. I’ve spent less time with it while I work with the D-608WB unit.
5.2 Unhappy about SIM cards
The FreedomLINK LTE radios I bought late in May have not had much use. Several weeks ago, I was notified that some of their SIM cards had been compromised. I was urged by the vendor to stop using the two devices. They sent out new SIM cards but those cards never arrived. Several days ago, I contacted the vendor again to inquire about new SIM cards. A replacement shipment is on its way and I may have more to report by the time issue 101 publishes.
The SIM cards arrived with no instructions on how to replace them. Normally, this wouldn’t be a problem. But the space available to manipulate the SIM cards is very limited. I managed to break one of plastic ears on a SIM card slot. The vendor did send me a UPS label so they could repair the unit. Fingers crossed that they are able to do so.
5.3 Microphones: unhappy and excited
Shure microphone
The small Shure microphone (Shure MV5 Digital Condenser Microphone) I purchased has been a bit of a disappointment. Yes, it looks like a Shure microphone, and for that I am grateful. However, for $100 I expected a microphone that was more metal than plastic. I’m not certain I like the sound, either. More testing is needed. I may just need to move closer to the microphone.
Behringer microphone and pre-amp
On the flip side of this coin, I ran across the Behringer C-1 condenser microphone. Reviews paint a pretty rosy picture of this XLR-only mic. I also stumbled over a Behringer TUBE ULTRAGAIN MIC500USB Audiophile Vacuum Tube Preamplifier with Preamp Modeling Technology and USB/Audio Interface.
The C-1 mic is about $50 and the MIC500USB preamp is about $124. Following up on glowing reviews, I checked eBay on a whim and found a Behringer C-1 mic and the MIC500USB device as an open box item for $80. I purchased that package and I’m really looking forward to using the mic and preamp. This purchase is scheduled to arrive after issue 101 publishes.
There is also a C-1U microphone that is, apparently, a dynamic mic with a USB interface. I have little knowledge about this option other than I haven’t had great results in recording the Random Wire Reflections podcast with dynamic microphones.
5.4 M17 Project
Being a long-time supporter of open source software, I find I’m very curious about the M17 Project. M17 bills itself as “Open Source Amateur Radio.”
I love the idea of open source radio. We ought to have more projects like this. An open source car or bicycle or computer would be great to see. I guess I really lean toward open source hardware in general.
I haven’t carved out much time for M17. Instead, I’ve been following Steve Stroh’s coverage of M17 in his great Zero Retries newsletter. Steve finds some of the most interesting amateur radio content for his newsletter and I always look forward to going through it from top to bottom. Zero Retries is Random Wire Recommended!
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6. Other
I’ve been enjoying watching the Blue Angels practice via my ADS-B tracking system. The plans are flying without squawking identification, but given the geographic location, boundaries, speeds, and published practice schedules, it’s obvious these are the Angels.
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7. Errata
In issue 100, I said HamSCI stood for Ham Science. HamSCI is an abbreviation for Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation. This “is a collective that unites amateur radio operators with the research community in the space and atmospheric sciences.”
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73 to all!
I don't understand the perspective that it is hubris to imagine one species can change the climate. We developed the ability to do that in a single day with Hydrogen bombs many decades ago.
Climate change mitigation and adaptation are both necessary, and really, Amateur Radio only applies to the latter. Our communication infrastructure was not designed to survive the kinds of events we are seeing, and being able to set up infrastructure-free communications will continue to be valuable. Hams might also be involved in sensor networks or satellite work that can monitor events like forest fires or storms. Lightning monitoring is done by amateurs and can provide a really important warning sign for forest fires.